Chobani has announced a major expansion to its manufacturing facility in Twin Falls, Idaho, which it says will be used to drive continued growth and expand production capability to meet demand for new and existing products.

Chobani expands capacity

Chobani has announced a major expansion to its manufacturing facility in Twin Falls, Idaho, which it says will be used to drive continued growth in the region, the state and the community and expand production capability to meet demand for new and existing products.

As the yogurt category and overall consumption continues to grow, Chobani is self-funding major expansion initiatives, including:

+ Purchase and conversion of three production lines for Chobani "Flip" products-- its fastest growing yogurt platform

+ Purchase of a new production line and a new bulk production line for foodservice opportunities to drive further growth in schools, hotels, airlines and restaurants

+ Purchase of new equipment for new adjacent categories like Chobani Meze Dips and yogurt drinks

+ Launch of products to new international markets, including Mexico and Puerto Rico in Q2 2016, furthering its mission to make better food for more people

"Building the largest yogurt manufacturing plant in the world and expanding it three years later is a really proud moment for us and an example of how right it was to pick Idaho as our second home," said Hamdi Ulukaya, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Chobani. "Our success in Idaho and New York is an example of the power and strength of U.S. manufacturing. To food companies like ours, it's a signal of the momentum of the food movement that we started: better food for more people."

Chobani commissioned its second domestic manufacturing facility in Twin Falls, Idaho, in 2013, making it, according to the company, the largest yogurt manufacturing facility in the world. The company had previously invested more than $450 million to build the one million square foot, world-class operation. The initial construction was completed in an unprecedented 326 days, with more than 2,000 men and women who put in more than 1.7 million man hours to build the state-of-the-art facility from the ground up.

In addition to expansion plans in Twin Falls, the company says it is also exploring plans to expand its original plant inCentral New York.

On the heels of the its Chobani "Flip" product success, Chobani recently announced its expansion and investment beyond the yogurt aisle with two new products that the company says build on the Mediterranean tradition of shared spreads with Chobani Meze Dips and portable protein with Drink Chobani beverage.